Hello everyone! Well we are in Melbourne Australia now so i think it's about time I updated this. I'll fill in the big gap.......

We ended up spending 8 nights in Queenstown which were well worth it! On the 1st of Novemeber we had a long coach ride from Franz Joseph to get there. Along the way we stopped at Thunder Creek Falls, Lake Matherson and Lake Hawea. Lake Matherson was supposed to have a reflection of the snow capped mountains but it didn't because it was too dull. However, Lake Hawea more than made up for it!! It had the most spectacular reflection i have ever seen - so crystal clear and undisturbed, completely picture perfect! During our time in Queenstown we ate Fergburgers (as already mentioned), went out to the bars with our new found friends and discovered drink concoctions in teapots at World Bar, lazed by Lake Wakatipi and in Queenstown gardens, watched films, played mini golf (which was hilarious - the ball often ended up in the bushes and Ellie got a hole in one!) and went cannyoning! Cannyoning was so much fun, we had to do a zip line, abseil down into the canyon, slide down waterfalls, climb up and jump off rocks into the waterfalls and swim down the river! Excellent! However, Christie broke her finger!! And now she has to have it strapped up for about 6 weeks - oh dear!

9th November - We were sad to leave Queenstown but the next stop was Dunedin. Here we did a tour of the Cadbury's chocolate factory which was funny! We got loads of freebies and were showed how all the amazing different types of NZ chocolate are made......they have everything! Banoffie pie choc, lemon cheescake choc, rocky road, 3 wishes, chocolate whip, crunchie dairy milk, caramello, banana chew. Heaven!

11th November - We moved on to Lake Tekapo today. On route we stopped at Baldwin Street which is the steepest street in the world. It is 30 degrees at its steepest point! We also stopped to take pictures of some amazingly blue lakes and huge boulders on a beach. When we got to Lake Tekapo we all relaxed by the lake and read our books.

12th November - Today the Magic Bus took us to Christchurch which is a pretty city. Here we were reunited with our friends that we had met, as we had all split off for a while, so we had fun catching up. Fran had her ear pierced in Christchurch and we visited the Botanical Gardens, market and of course shops!

15th November - Our adventure in NZ drew to a close today as we flew to Melbourne Australia! I think we can all safely say we had the most amazing time meeting new people, taking in the spectacular scenery and enjoying the stuff that gets your adrenaline going (even though Christie did break her finger). We were sad to leave but looked forward to the beginning of our adventures in Oz.

And so here we are....Melbourne seems to be nice. We have been here for just over a week now. We spent the first couple of nights in the city and explored Victoria market (which is supposed to be the biggest market in the southern hemisphere), had a drink and an ice cream on Southbank by the river and taken a couple of walks through the gardens. We moved out to the suburb of St Kilda on the 18th, which is full of backpackers and right near the beach!

On my birthday (21st) we ventured back into the city via tram and went to the aquarium! We saw all sorts including huge sharks and sting rays. We had originally planned to go to the zoo but for the first time in a week it poured down ALL day!! Typical! Every other day had been around 35 degrees! But going to the aquarium was still fun! we also had something to eat in Federation Square, which was a nice treat as we are currently whipping up what we can using things on the free shelves in the hostels (like true travellers!). The guys also bought me a chocolate cake which we devoured....it was delish! We are also planning a big night out on Saturday in 80's fancy dress! so look out for those pics! haha.

So that brings you up to date! We are currently looking for some work to make our bank accounts look a bit more healthy so i think we are staying put for a while. We have accommodation booked in Sydney over Christmas and new year so that is when i will be writing my next installment.

Bye for now! Much love to everyone back at home (in the rain and cold) ;)

xxxx